Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisation development is an emerging behavioural science discipline. Its goals
are to make organisations more effective and to develop individual potential. For this
reason organisation development provides a set of methodologies to bring about
organisational change and improvement systematically. The techniques introduced
by organisation development adhere to a set frame of values.
This research proposes that organisation development, as an evolving discipline,
can depend on the management of diversity as a tool for change under certain
conditions. Organisations are faced with the problem of surviving a fiercely
competitive world. This they have to do with a workforce that is becoming
increasingly diverse. Diversity as highlighted in this study, is a complex
phenomenon. It does not entail only race and ethnicity as is sometimes believed,
but also incorporates aspects like cultural differences and individual preferences.
The traditional view of diversity has been assimilation, where race and other
differences were standardised in a type of melting pot. In real life groups want to
retain their individuality and this is being increased by today's non-hierarchical,
collaborate and flexible management styles. The challenge is therefore to
acknowledge differences and then to get the same and even more productivity from
a diverse workforce as had been the case with the homogeneous workforce. This
must be done without artificial programmes, standards or barriers. The limited data
strongly suggest that efforts to manage diversity, as undertaken by leading
organisations, have been fairly successful in improving performance regarding
productivity, absenteeism and turnover. If diversity is ignored or improperly
managed, it could become a detractor from performance. On the other hand, if
diversity is managed well, organisations will be able to make diversity an asset to
performance.
This research shows that the management of diversity can and should be used to
change organisation culture and to promote satisfactory performance. In this regard
the monoculture of the South African Police Services is described as an example of
an organisation culture that hampers the personal growth of its members and thus
leads to ineffectiveness. This study identifies the main characteristics of the so-called police culture that
prevents the organisations performance from being effective. It does so in the light
of recent quantitative and qualitative research. Out of this a framework is developed
that can be used to implement the management of diversity. The study also
proposes proposals to utilise the management of diversity as an organisational
development technique. For this purpose a measurement instrument is developed.
The dissertation concludes with an exposition of strategies that the South African
Police Service can implement on individual, group and organisation level, to manage
diversity effectively. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasie-ontwikkeling, 'n ontluikende gedragswetenskaplike dissipline, het as
doelwit die verhoging van organisasies se effektiwiteit en die ontwikkeling van
individue se potensiaal. Om dié rede maak organisasie-ontwikkeling voorsiening vir
'n stel metodologieë gerig op die stelselmatige teweegbring van organisatoriese
verandering en verbetering. Die tegnieke wat deur organisasie-ontwikkeling
toegepas word, is op 'n vaste waardestelsel gefundeer.
Hierdie navorsing doen aan die hand dat organisasie-ontwikkeling, as 'n jong
dissipline, onder sekere omstandighede kan reken op die bestuur van diversiteit as
'n instrument vir verandering. Organisasies kom te staan voor die probleem van
oorlewing in 'n hoogs mededingende wêreld en kan dit slegs aandurf met die
beskikbare menslike hulpbronne van 'n toenemend diverse aard. Diversiteit, soos in
hierdie studie toegelig, is 'n komplekse verskynsel wat nie slegs, soos dikwels
aanvaar, ras en etnisiteit behels nie, maar ook aspekte soos kulturele verskille en
individuele voorkeure insluit. Die tradisionele siening van diversiteit was een van
assimilasie waar ras en ander verskille in 'n tipe smeltkroes gestandaardiseer is. In
die werklike lewe wil groepe hul individualiteit behou, 'n beginsel wat bevorder word
deur die hedendaagse nie-hiërargiese, samewerkende en buigsame bestuurstyle.
Die uitdaging is dus om, met erkenning van die verskille, met die diverse arbeidsmag
selfs hoër produktiwiteit te behaal as met 'n homogene arbeidsmag. Dit moet
sonder kunsmatige programme, standaarde of hindernisse bewerkstellig word. Die
beperkte data laat deurlopend blyk dat die diversiteitsbestuurspogings, soos deur
vooraanstaande organisasies aangewend, in 'n mate geslaag het om verbeteringe in
produktiwiteit, werksafwesigheid en arbeidsomset teweeg te bring. Indien
geïgnoreer of swak bestuur, kan diversiteit nadelig op produktiwiteit inwerk, soos die
teendeel ook waar is, naamlik dat diversiteit, wanneer goed bestuur, tot voordeel van
produktiwiteit kan wees.
Hierdie navorsing toon dat die bestuur van diversiteit kan en behoort gebruik te word
om organisasiekultuur te verander en om bevredigende werkverrigting te bevorder.
In hierdie verband word die monokultuur van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens
beskryf as 'n voorbeeld van 'n organisasiekultuur wat die persoonlike groei van lede strem en so tot oneffektiwiteit aanleiding gee. Aan die hand van resente kwantitatiewe
en kwalitatiewe navorsing identifiseer hierdie studie die hoofkenmerke van die
sogenaamde polisiekultuur wat belemmerend inwerk op effektiewe werkverrigting.
Hieruit word 'n raamwerk ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word vir die implementering van
diversiteitsbestuur. Die studie doen ook voorstelle aan die hand om die bestuur van
diversiteit as Organisasie-Ontwikkelingstegniek te optimaliseer. Vir die doeleindes
word 'n meetinstument ontwikkel. Die proefskrif sluit af met 'n uiteensetting van
strategieë wat die SA Polisiediens vir die effektiewe bestuur van diversiteit op
individuele, groeps, organisasie en interorganisatoriese vlakke kan implementeer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52768 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Fourie, Marius (Mattheus Hermanus Wessels) |
| Contributors | Muller, J. J., Schwella, E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences . School of Public Leadership. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 284 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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